Thrive: Deeper

This week Matthew and DJ start out by candidly discussing how DJ has learnt how to speak the language of Matthew Jacoby.... and then pausing in the Ezra narrative to look at two prophets who were speakingh to the Jewish people at that time.... the short Haggai and they begin the longer Zechariah.... Enjoy as our duo pull out the appocalyptic threads and the application we have today.

Ezra 1 to 6. https://youtu.be/MkETkRv9tG8 Stay listening for some bonus, heartfelt "thinking out loud" about Halloween. For those who want some bonus reading about Halloween, DJ found this article very interesting: https://calvinistinternational.com/2013/10/30/halloween-creation-recreation/

Bonus! Covering off Titus and Philemon in the last edition. And starting the new edition with an overview of Ezra.

Matthew and DJ follow up on last episode with this question: "What about a woman who God has given the gift of teaching? Should she just ignore this based on what Paul says? I've always struggled with this....." - MEG T. Then they look through the leadership qualifications from 1 Timothy chapter 3. A quick look at Paul's thoughts on the last days and what the church will be like in those days. And then a final wrap up on Paul's last letter before his death - 2 Timothy.

Matthew and DJ present this special episode dedicated to these 8 verses in 1Timothy Chapter 2: "8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. 11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing — if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety."

Finally Matt and DJ are back in the studio! Questions: During the Thessalonians discussion Matt mentioned how the book was one of Paul early letters (I think he said Galatians might have been first). That got me pondering Paul’s spiritual growth (stay with me here). We are encouraged and exhorted to keep growing and revising our views ("if it’s alive it grows" I think MJ says). I know my views and opinions have changed enormously over my Christian journey. Things that took up a lot of my time (and caused unnecessary anxiety) when I was a young Christian seem irrelevant now. So did Paul’s views change as he matured? Is there clues of this in his letters? If not – why not? PAUL S. Reading 1 Thess 2:17-3:13 - just wondering about Paul - her persecution/trials - and he speaks of being destined for them in 3:3. My bible had a cross reference to Acts 9:16 - it got me thinking - and my question is - Is Paul’s persecution - “how he must suffer for my name” ... is it Gods justice - the scales being balanced - Paul (Saul) persecuted the christians and therefore persecuted God (acts 9:4). And then God selects him to be his chosen instrument and therefore suffers for his name. It almost seems like a kind of sowing and reaping,(Gal 6:7) he sows persecution and therefore reaps persecution. And I can see that he also is tremendously blessed after his transformation from Saul to Paul, but it just made me wonder because God is a just God. CHERYNE my question was related to 1 Timothy 1:5 - I was just wondering about what the significance of “heart” is in the bible - why do christians/the bible speak of “pure heart”, matters of the heart etc - some religions talk about 3rd eyes, etc why to do we speak about the heart, I’m assuming it’s not the actual organ in our body. Why is love related to the heart? I’d like to know a bit of background about the word heart as used in the bible please. ANON I’d like some explanation of 1Tim 4:10 “we put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe”. This seems to imply that everyone will be saved, especially those who believe! Is this the basis of the (errant) doctrine of Christian Universalism? What does it mean? PAUL S. 1 Timothy 5 - does anyone know what vs 23 is all about? It just seems rather random. “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” Is this a metaphor or is Paul speaking literally? C. BIRD. Matthew mentions: The Nicene Creed - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed and The Athanasian Creed - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasian_Creed

Matthew and DJ get a wonderful piece of feedback from a Sydney based listener: Marcello "Oakbridge" Encina has subtitled the show "The theological Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis." photoshopped photos that can illustrate that are more than welcome! Matthew references "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce. 2nd Letter from Apostle Paul to the church in Thessalonica. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Epistle_to_the_Thessalonians https://youtu.be/kbPBDKOn1cc

Matthew and DJ have a question from avid listener Corey Sleap. It is basically about the definition of the word "Evangelical" in light of different culture's views of the word... DJ and Matt go on to talk about these four words: "Evangelical" "Reformed" "Fundamentalist" "Orthodoxy" Matthew references these books: Martin Lloyd Jones' book "What is an Evangelical?" G.K. Chesterton's book "Orthodoxy" Rodney Stark's "The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World's Largest Religion" Harold Lindsell's "The Battle for the Bible" For more information about what "Reformed" is: https://www.challies.com/articles/what-it-means-to-be-reformed/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism For more information on Fundamentalist Christianity: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christian-fundamentalism The dictionary definition of Orthodoxy: orthodoxy - noun UK the generally accepted beliefs of society at a particular time. the traditional beliefs of a religious group or political party. the degree to which someone believes in traditional religious or political ideas. How the Orthodox Christians define themselves: https://orthodoxwiki.org/What_is_Orthodoxy Intro to 1 Thessalonians Assurance of judgement and hell. The man of lawlessness.

Matthew and DJ wrap up the book of Colossians. They talked about the false teachers and false teaching that was circling the church back then {and still does today!} Here is a quote from Bible teacher Myke Harbuck: "The Colossian heresy, as it is called by many, involved many false teachings at the church of Colossae. It was a mix of Jewish legalism, Greek philosophic speculation, and Oriental mysticism. It has been speculated that the location of Colossae played an important part in the mixed character of the false teachings in the church. This may be true since most of the beliefs and features appear later in Gnostic philosophy and in Greek and Oriental mystery religions. Paul uses the epistle of Colossians to combat this heresy and to set the church on the right track. One can conclude from the counter-emphasis of Paul that the Colossian heresy involved first the diminishing of the person of Christ. Paul countered this false teaching by stressing the preeminence and realness of Christ the person. In Colossians 1:15, Paul says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” (HCSB). The next issue of the Colossian heresy involves the emphasis on human philosophy. Paul fought the human philosophy which taught that human speculation was divorced from divine revelation. Paul boldly and with accurate precision counteracted these human philosophies with Colossians 2:8, which says, “Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on elemental forces of the world and not based on Christ” (HCSB). Paul also used Colossians to counteract elements of Judaism. These elements included circumcision, rabbinic traditions, dietary regulations, and Sabbath and festival observations. Paul addressed these problems by enlightening the Colossians on spiritual circumcision and spiritual liberty. Next Paul addresses problems of false humility and the worship of angels. Those who taught this false humility and angelic worship assumed that the angels were intermediaries between them and God. Paul commands against such a belief in a visionary realm and states that such a person does not “hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God” (Colossians 2:19 HSCB). Finally, Paul counteracts the idea that Christianity is exclusive or secret. Some of the Colossians flaunted an air or secrecy and of superiority. Paul emphasizes the all inclusiveness of Jesus and the gospel by stressing that Christ is all and in all." Check out a definition of Gnosticism on Wikipedia And even the Wikipedia for Colossians covers some interesting points.

Dr Matt Jacoby and his old side kick DJ Paine dive right onto the book of Colossians. After a quick introduction the two make their way through the first two chapters and end up in a very personal place about the difference between having to always "be Right" and "righteosuness"....